The invention relates to a carrying device to be coupled to a vertically movable support of a forklift truck or the like for picking up two containers placed one on top of another, which are provided near their corner points with coupling pieces, in which openings are present, into which insert parts of coupling means connected to a frame of the carrying device can be inserted, wherein said coupling means are arranged in pairs, in such a manner that an insert part of a first coupling means of each pair of coupling means can be inserted in a first direction into a coupling piece which is provided near the upper side of the lower one of the two containers placed one on top of another, and two insert parts disposed one above another of a second coupling means of the pair in question, which is capable of pivoting movement with respect to the frame of the carrying device, can be inserted into said coupling piece of the first container and into a coupling piece provided on the bottom side of the upper container of the containers placed one on top of another, which coupling piece is positioned near said coupling piece of the first container, in a direction transversely to the direction in which the insert part of the first coupling means is to be inserted into the respective coupling piece.
A carrying device of this kind is known from Dutch patent No. 1004817. The carrying device disclosed therein is satisfactory per se, but a certain movement of the containers with respect to the carrying device in the longitudinal direction of the first coupling means can take place with this carrying device in the position in which the containers are coupled to the carrying device.
According to the invention, the second coupling means is pivotally connected with one end to one end of a connecting piece, which is pivotally connected with its other end to the frame of the carrying device, and one end of a connecting rod is pivotally connected to the second coupling means between the ends of said second coupling means, wherein the other end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the frame of the carrying device, whilst a driving element for pivoting the second coupling means engages said connecting piece.
When using the construction according to the invention, it is possible to obtain a firm clamping engagement between the containers and the frame of the carrying device whilst preventing any movement of the containers along the first coupling means. This is for example important in order to ensure that detection means, which are mounted on the device for detecting whether or not the containers are correctly coupled to the carrying device, will operate correctly when the container is being coupled to the carrying device and transported.